Tz'utujil - Marriage and Family

Marriage.
Individual Tz'utujil communities tend to be endogamous. In most
cases, women who marry into a community continue to wear the style of
costume of their natal community. Marriage is by the partners'
choice. Although most Tz'utujil marriages were formerly conducted
according to so-called Christo-pagan rituals, the great majority of
Tz'utujil marriages today include either a Catholic or a
Protestant wedding ceremony. This transition began in the 1930s and
accelerated after 1950. Further reflecting outside influences, most
young Tz'utujil brides now insist on wearing white wedding gowns
and veils for their marriage ceremonies. With regard to Tz'utujil
marriage, monogamy is the norm and polygyny the exception.

Domestic Unit.
The nuclear-family household, or
sitio,
is the basic unit of Tz'utujil social organization. In many
cases, there exists an extended family grouping of sitios known as a
vivienda.
Economic and domestic interaction between the component households in
the vivienda is limited, but children typically contribute economic
assistance to their parents. In most cases, postmarital residence is
patrilocal, although for economic or interpersonal reasons, matrilocal
residence is common.

Socialization.
The socialization of Tz'utujil children takes place primarily in
the home, where they are raised by their parents and older siblings
alike. In addition, national law mandates that children attend six years
of school. Primarily because of economic and domestic demands, however,
fewer than half of Tz'utujil children are able to satisfy that
mandate.